Our Woman of the Week is Gayle Woloschak, who sits on many high-level church-related boards and holds advanced degrees in biology and theology. You see her pictured here on one of her many travels. We asked her to introduce herself:
“I am Professor of Radiation Oncology and Associate Dean of The Graduate School at Northwestern University in Chicago. I teach, do research, and facilitate graduate student and post-doctoral training. I have been a member of Metropolitan Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA for some thirty years now, and also sit on bioethics committees for several other jurisdictions. I sit on various national and international committees and serve on the US delegation to the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. As you can imagine, my professional obligations and the volunteer work I do for the various churches find me traveling around the world regularly, some 100 days a year. One of my goals is to visit all of the US national parks, and not that long ago I went to Burning Man for the first time and also got to visit an aircraft carrier. I admit that all the travel disrupts my liturgical life, but I spend as many Sundays in the year as possible at my home parish, Sts. Peter & Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Palos Park, Illinois or visiting other parishes around the world.
“It might seem strange to some people that I have doctorates in both biology and theology but—I assure you—science and belief are perfectly compatible. Ask me some time how theories of evolution and the story of Genesis harmonize!”
Axia! You can learn more about Gayle’s parish here: https://sspeterandpauluoc.net/.
We asked Woman of the Week Gayle Woloschak, seen here in her laboratory, about what it was like being Orthodox and a dean of students at a large university:
“The most important lesson I have learned as Associate Dean (and perhaps in all of my efforts) is to be present to every person that God sends into my office. Sometimes it is easy to see that there are massive problems, that everyone needs help and that I can’t possibly meet the needs of the large community of 4600 graduate students and 1000 post-doctoral trainees. Other times I am tempted to rush the person out of my office: maybe my schedule is jam-packed or there’s a long line of other people who need to see me. I had a student last week who was taking a very long time to explain her problem, I had several others waiting outside my office, and I was tempted to rush her out. I managed to stop myself, and when it was done, I realized that the student actually needed someone to listen and hear her story.
“I think the proper attitude is to realize that there is only one person I need to worry about at that moment: the person who sits in front of me. Mother Theresa used to say that her job was to see Christ is in the one she was with--and to act accordingly. This is a hard task, but I think it is what we are all called to do.”
We asked Gayle Woloschak, our Woman of the Week, about her morning routine:
“I keep things simple when I am home. I have my dogs wake me up for a morning walk (which is always way too early, usually 5AM). Before I put my feet on the ground I say a short prayer, and then I groggily walk the dogs for about 20 minutes (shorter when Chicago’s weather is particularly rough) and say my morning prayers while walking. I feed them, come in, sit at my table in front of my icon and just quiet myself for the day ahead. Then I eat, dress and get off to work.
“When I’m traveling, the dogs have a home with my neighbor, an arrangement that is working out well for all of us.”
Thank you, Gayle!